Apple's iPhone 14, rumored to arrive sometime between September and October of this year, might include a significant new model: the iPhone 14 Max.
A newly discovered image of four aluminum blocks milled into the designs of four potential iPhone 14 models has experts guessing at iPhone 14 models. These rough-hewn slabs aren't much to look at, though the iconic iPhone design (first introduced with the iPhone 12), is unmistakable.
Aside from what appears to be two very prominent camera modules on the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max and 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro models, there's a notable addition, suggests Apple Insider, which spotted a leak posted by Quick Review Lab on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Instead of a 5.4-inch iPhone 14 mini model on one end (the mini is long-rumored to be on its way out), there's a new 6.7-inch model - the iPhone 14 Max. It's notable not only for being the same size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max but for sharing a two-camera module system with the iPhone 14, and we've been hearing about it for a few months now.
Granted, we're living in the gap between the Apple iPhone 13 in our hands and the iPhone 14 we expect, filling it with rumors powered by apparent design and manufacturing leaks. In other words, we should take these rumors with a big grain of salt.
Still, the possible existence of a big-screen iPhone 14 Max could mean an interesting new option for budget-conscious iPhone fans. After all, Apple has now shown a propensity for spreading its best screen and top-tier CPU across all its iPhone models, and using things like the camera array, storage, and memory to adjust pricing.
A 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max could, price-wise, fall in between the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, while still offering, with the big screen, a bit of what you can get at the top-end of the line.
Is bigger better?
Ask consumers and you'll hear a consistent story: They like their phones big. The flagship standard across iPhones and Android are devices 6.5 inches in size or larger. The problem with big-screen phones is they usually carry an equally big price.
An iPhone 14 Max could be just what your wallet ordered. Especially if Apple doesn't skimp in other areas.
It would be a shame, though if the addition of this larger, entry-level device means the end of the iPhone 14 Mini. Apple's laudable mini line is the last iPhone to respect those with small hands and maybe equally small-screen aspirations.
Yes, there's a lot we can glean from a collection of aluminum blocks, especially when we're so desperate for any kind of information about Apple's iPhone 14 plans. As always, none of this is set in stone or even sand. Come iPhone launch time, we might be looking at four new handsets that look a lot like the current iPhone 13 line – and laugh about how we were once led astray by some metal bricks.
